Giro 2018 Route stage 1: ITT in Jerusalem (isr)

Friday, 4 May 2018 - The Grande Partenza of the 2018 Giro d'Italia will be the first start of a Grand Tour outside of Europe. At 9.7 kilometres, the Giro kicks off with a technical time trial in Jerusalem.

A time trial in Jerusalem for the opening stage will mean a similar scenario to 2016, when the Grande Partenza was in the Netherlands and Tom Dumoulin powered to the maglia rosa with the slightest of margins. The Dutchman bested Primoz Roglic by merely 0.02 seconds.

In 2017, the 100th edition of the Giro d’Italia opened with a theoretical sprint stage to Olbia, yet Lukas Pöstlberger escaped in the last kilometres to solo to victory ahead of the chasing peloton.

The 1st stage of the 2018 Giro d’Italia is a 9.7 kilometres individual time trial in Jerusalem. Both start and finish are close to the walls of Old Jerusalem and in between the riders race a rolling and technical course with a few nasty twists and turns. The final 400 meters are slightly uphill.